Live text therapy, or instant messaging therapy, means we meet at an agreed time — just as we would for a video or in-person session — but instead of speaking, we type. It happens in real time, through an encrypted messaging service, for the length of our usual session.

Why text-based therapy?

There are many reasons people might prefer typing to speaking, from neurodivergence, to gender, to social anxiety. Writing can slow things down so you can find the right words, remove the pressure of eye contact, or the feeling of being watched while you think. It can help with some disabilities, or alleviate feelings of dysphoria associated with a person’s face or voice. It can feel safer when talking about something hard to say out loud, especially when it comes to trauma or experiences that carry shame. Or it can imply suit days when your voice, energy, or environment make a spoken session difficult — chronic illness, sensory overwhelm, a noisy household, or lack of privacy (though you should still make sure nobody can see your screen or otherwise access your messages).

For some clients this is an occasional alternative to spoken sessions; for others, it’s how we work most or all of the time.

Is it right for you?

It might be worth trying if you know you find writing easier than speaking or are curious whether it might suit you better. We can also use it flexibly — as our main mode of communication, or as an option for the odd session when speaking feels like too much that day.

If you’re not sure, we can talk it through in your free initial consultation, or try a session and see how it feels.

Fees

The fee is £60 per session, the same as spoken sessions, and sessions typically last approximately 50 minutes, unless we agree otherwise. If you’d like to discuss whether live text sessions are right for you, please get in touch to arrange an initial chat.

Please note that instant-messaging therapy is not appropriate for some people, and I cannot offer a crisis management service. For free crisis text-based support in the UK, text SHOUT to 85258.